The Way We Were
by WolfEyes
Summary: *REVISED* H/G were a couple, but Harry comes back to teach in Ginny's 7th year. Ginny has a new b/f but still hasn't gotten over Harry. Will there be sparks even tho Harry's a teacher and Ginny's a student? If so, what will happen if somebody finds out?
1. Default Chapter

A/N: If you're reading this and you've read my old version of The Way We Were, what happened was I was very upset with the way it was so I made a major decision and saved all of my reviews and then deleted the story off ff.net. I have all the chapters saved on Microsoft Word, so I'm going to go back and revise a lot of it. The story will be very different, hopefully more exciting, and not so dragged out. Some chapters I'll probably do all over again. I know a lot of you liked it, but I wasn't happy with it, so I hope that you will still like it and if there's something wrong, let me know! Like, if there's something that I should keep, remove, etc. If things get too bad with this new version, I can always put the old one up. Probably the first few chapters won't be that different. I thank all of you for being understanding.  
  
A/N2: This is my first story, besides a songfic. Okay, I want to say a few quick things about this story. First of all, Ron and Hermoine are married. Harry and Ginny had a relationship during Harry's 6th & 7th year, and after he graduated, he broke it off. Then, in Ginny's 7th year, Harry and Hermoine (Ron is with her, but he's not teaching) come back as teachers at Hogwarts (let's say they took special classes during the school years and summers of their 6th and 7th years and became Hogwarts' youngest teachers in a long time). So, there ya are! Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything J.K. Rowling created. I own the plot, Ron and Hermoine's kids (if I decide I want them to have any), and Ginny's friends.  
  
Ginny sat in the train compartment, swaying to the gentle rocking of the train and staring out the window. She was enjoying the rare moment of quite time and had just drifted off to sleep, when one of her friends, Aimee Mills, came bursting in.  
  
"Guess what!!" she shouted so loudly that Ginny jumped up out of her seat and on to the floor.  
  
"What?!" Ginny climbed back on the seat, a little annoyed.  
  
"You should hear the latest rumor going around!" Aimee exclaimed excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet.  
  
Ginny rolled her azure blue eyes. Aimee was loved gossip and when she caught hold of some, it spread quicker than a wild fire during a dry spell. She could never be trusted with secrets because of this. Sometimes Ginny thought that Aimee was more 13 than 17.  
  
"All right, what is it?" Ginny sighed, hoping it wasn't about her.  
  
"Well, between you and me." Aimee whispered. "I heard from Allie who heard from Kara, who heard from Caitlyn, who heard from Brian, who heard from his friend Josh, who heard from his cousin, Sydney, who heard from Lisa, who somehow heard from Draco, who also told Kara, who told Allie, who told me, who is."  
  
"All right Aimee, I don't care who you heard it from, just tell me!" yelled Ginny.  
  
"Well.I heard that Harry Potter is coming back to teach at Hogwarts!" If Aimee had expected Ginny to jump up and down excitedly at this news, she was disappointed. Instead, Ginny's eyes grew big and round and she made a small gasping sound. All of a sudden, someone yelled,  
  
"Hey Aimee, come here quick!"  
  
"Gotta go, Ginny! Uh.you okay there?"  
  
"Yeah, just-just fine." She squeaked out.  
  
After Aimee left, Ginny sunk down on a seat. She knew that two teaching positions were open, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Arithmancy. She knew Hermoine, who was now her sister-in-law, was going to teach Arithmancy. But Hermoine wouldn't tell her who was taking the DADA position. That was why she believed Aimee's rumor, which she usually didn't do. Ginny began thinking about that awful day so long ago, when Harry had broken up with her on the last day of his 7th year.  
  
**~Flashback~**  
  
She had been on the train going home from her 5th year at Hogwarts. Harry had been acting oddly the whole time. When the train had pulled into the station, Harry took her aside and had said (Ginny still remembered their exact words),  
  
"Ginny, I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Harry." She had told him.  
  
"The thing is, Ginny, I don't think. I mean it'll be so hard for us, with you still in school for another year and me traveling and everything. I just think that we'd be better off, if-if we just stopped seeing each other."  
  
"But Harry, we promised we'd owl each other every day and visit during holidays and any other chance we may get," protested Ginny. She began to cry and he pulled her to him and wrapped her in a hug.  
  
"I know, I know. It's just that."  
  
"What, Harry?"  
  
"Well, it would just be easier for the two of us. You could, you know, see boys your own age, while I work at my career," said Harry.  
  
"Oh, Harry! Y-you're really serious!" cried Ginny; the tears were now flowing very fast and hard. Though she was deeply upset, she was also angry. "Harry, it's only a year! If you really loved me, we could get through it. It's not that hard."  
  
"I-I'm so sorry Ginny. But this is for the best. Y-you know it is," said Harry, who sounded like he was also trying to convince himself as well and fight back tears at the same time. Ginny looked up at him and saw him wipe his eyes hurriedly.  
  
"But Harry, I just." But Harry put a finger to her lips to shush her.  
  
"Shh. Ginny, I don't want to do this, but I have to---I just have to. It really is the best thing." Said Harry.  
  
At that point Ginny couldn't stand to hear anymore. "Harry, how could you do this to me? We love each other. If we tried, we could."  
  
But Harry had shushed her again. "Ginny, don't argue. Maybe someday, we could start all over again."  
  
"Harry, I don't want to start over again someday! I cherish what we have now! If we just let that die now, we may never have it again! Is there some other woman? Is that it? Or do you just want to play the field? Are you afraid that I'll cheat? I'd never do that! Never!"  
  
"No, there's no other woman, I don't want to play the field, and I'd trust you with my life."  
  
Then Harry, now crying freely as well, bent down to kiss her warmly for one last time. Their tears had mingled together for a brief minute. When he pulled away, he hugged her and rocked her for a while, before quickly kissing her cheek.  
  
"Goodbye, Ginny. I will always love you. Never forget that." Said Harry. So with that, he had disappeared through the platform.  
  
A single thought ran through Ginny's mind as she watched him leave. He was scared.  
  
They had seen each other again at Ron and Hermoine's wedding that same summer. But Harry didn't say much to her. He had said a polite "hello" and made some brief conversations, and had even asked her to dance when it played the song that used to be theirs. But Harry had slipped quietly out without so much as a goodbye to her, (Ginny figured that was because his last goodbye to her had been so painful), and Ginny had never seen him since.  
  
**~End Flashback~**  
  
Once again, Ginny was snapped out of her reverie when four of her other friends, Brian, Kara, Allie, and Caitlyn all came in talking and laughing together.  
  
"Hey Gin, what's up?" Kara sat down next to her.  
  
"Um.nothing," Ginny hoped that she didn't sound too preoccupied to them.  
  
"Well, we're about to arrive at Hogwarts soon. Did you hear what they're all saying? Harry Potter's supposed to come back this year and teach," said Allie.  
  
"Yeah, I wonder if it's true," Caitlyn had to put in her two cents.  
  
"Who knows? Aimee's been going from compartment to compartment telling anyone who will listen to her." Brian laughed at the thought.  
  
"Hey Brian! Come here! I want you to see this!" yelled Josh from the next compartment.  
  
"Coming!" Brian yelled back. "Wonder what he wants."  
  
"Well, go find out," Allie said as if it was the most obvious thing to do, which, it was.  
  
Brian left and shut the door, but not before Aimee slipped in. "Hey guys!" she greeted happily. "We'd better get into our robes. We'll be at Hogwarts in five minutes. The girls all changed quickly into their robes. As Ginny changed into hers, she wondered if Harry had really come back to teach at Hogwarts, and if he had, would there still be any sparks?  
  
A/N: I hope you like the new version of this. It's not that different.yet. Review please everybody! They keep me going so much! 


	2. Back to Hogwarts

A/N: So far ff.net hasn't deleted my older version. I'm pretty sure it will since I deleted all the chapters, but if not I'll try and find another way or just leave it there.  
  
Disclaimer: I own zilch of what J.K. Rowling created. I own the plot, Allie, Kara, Caitlyn, Brian, Josh, Aimee, and Ron & Hermoine's kids (Nick and Kyle who are twins).  
  
Ginny sat in a horseless carriage with Brian, Josh, and Allie. Brian and Josh were laughing rather loudly about an idea that they had come up with for a prank that involved Snape, pink tutus, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and penguins.  
  
"So Ginny, do you think that Harry will really be teaching this year?" Allie asked this question cautiously as she wasn't sure how Ginny would react to it.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Do you hope he is?"  
  
Ginny sighed. She had mixed feelings. Part of her wanted him to come back and teach, while the other part was afraid of what might happen if he did. She knew that teachers and students had to keep a firm line between a professional relationship and a closer one. Plus she was very happy with Colin, so she thought.  
  
"Ginny?"  
  
"Huh? Oh. Well.I don't care about him anymore, really," Ginny hoped she sounded convincing.  
  
"I think he should. He needs to see that you have moved on from him and don't need him anymore and couldn't care any less about him," said Brian.  
  
"Yeah. Right." Ginny pretended to agree.  
  
"Are you happy to see Colin again? It's been a whole summer," Allie attempted to drag the subject away from Harry. She could tell Ginny was uncomfortable.  
  
Ginny had almost forgotten all about Colin. At the end of 6th year, he had asked her out. She had said no due to the fact that she was going with Harry. But when Harry had broken up with her, Ginny owled Colin to tell him yes in hopes that she'd forget Harry sooner. He seemed nice enough, a little possessive maybe, but still nice. But she didn't really know him that well. He adored her though, and was always giving her things. Only Allie and Kara knew how she really felt.  
  
"Colin? Oh, well, he's nice and all, and I really like him," said Ginny.  
  
"But you are going out with him," stated Brian.  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, he's just 'nice and all' to you? And you 'really like him'? That sounds more like you like him for a friend," said Brian.  
  
"He is nice and I do really like him," said Ginny.  
  
"Ginny! The guy adores you! He gives you presents almost everyday! He respects you! Have you ever seen the way he looks at you when he thinks you can't see?! I have! I have never seen any guy look at a girl the way he looks at you! It's a look of pure love, admiration, and respect. He's in love with you, Ginny! Colin would go to the ends of the Earth and jump off just so you could be happy! He would eagerly give his life just so he could save yours. To him, your wish is his command! Colin is sweet. He can give you what you need. Love. In fact, he is giving it to you now! If you can't see it, then you are the blindest person I know!" shouted Alex.  
  
"I--I-" stuttered Ginny.  
  
"Do you love him just as much Ginny?" asked Brian quietly.  
  
"Where do you come off telling me how much I should like a person? It's my business who I like and who I don't! My relationship with Colin is mine and Colin's business and nobody else's!" Ginny glared so hard at Brian that she could've shot daggers at him through her eyes if that were at all possible.  
  
But at that moment, the carriages reached Hogwarts. The four of them stepped out into the howling wind and whipping rain that stung their cheeks.  
  
"Blimey, it's bloody wet out here!" yelled a familiar voice. It was Ron. He was helping Hermoine usher the kids inside. Ginny ran over to them, thankful for an excuse to get away from Brian, who she knew would be expecting an answer to his question.  
  
"Ron, hi! I'm really glad that you decided to come to the castle with Hermoine!" shouted Ginny over the roar of the rain. She gave him a big hug.  
  
"Ahh, well it's the least I could do. I want to be there for her. Plus, I need to help watch over our twins, Nick and Kyle."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. Why couldn't Ron admit he just couldn't stand being away from Hermoine?  
  
"Well, I'm sure she will appreciate your support," giggled Ginny.  
  
"Ginny, you had better get inside or you might get sick! This weather is just awful! I mean, it's cold, the wind is blowing hard and it's raining!" scolded Hermoine.  
  
Ginny tried not to laugh. Hermione's motherly instinct had become strong. She was about to go inside where everyone else was, when Hermoine came up behind her and gave her a great bear hug.  
  
"Oh, I missed you so much, Gin!" she said, as if she hadn't yelled at Ginny a few seconds ago and as if she hadn't seen Ginny in a good few years.  
  
"M-me t-too!" gasped Ginny. "But I-I'd miss y-you more if you c-could let go of me! I can't breathe!"  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry Ginny! Well, let's get inside now! Don't want to miss the Sorting!"  
  
They stepped inside and entered the Great Hall. Ginny took her place at the Gryffindor table and sat between Allie and Kara, with Caitlyn across from her and Brian and Aimee on either side of Caitlyn, and Josh next to Brian. Brian gave her a look that said, "I'm expecting an answer from you. Soon." So Ginny gave him her "shove it or else" look.  
  
After the Sorting, Aimee turned to Ginny eagerly.  
  
"Well Ginny," she said in a more dramatic voice than necessary, "I don't see Harry at the teachers' table, do you?"  
  
Ginny turned around in her seat and saw Hermoine, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and all the other usual professors. But there was an empty seat.  
  
"Well no," she said.  
  
"But look!" gasped Caitlyn as if she had made the discovery of the century. "There's an empty seat! He could be teaching here, but is late or something!"  
  
"Yeah!" Aimee and Kara said together.  
  
"Right!" scoffed Ginny, "How well did you guys know him again? He wouldn't be late for anything. It's "not my way" as he used to say."  
  
"You never answered my question on the train, Ginny," Aimee said all of a sudden.  
  
"Huh? What was your question?"  
  
"Ginny, don't play stupid. I asked if you wanted him to come back or not. Do you?"  
  
"I really don't care."  
  
"You can be so frustrating! Why don't you-?"  
  
But at that moment, Dumbledore stood up to announce the beginning of the year.  
  
"I have but a few announcements this year. First that our Arithmancy professor retired last year, and the person taking her place is Hermoine Weasley!" Dumbledore stopped as everyone clapped.  
  
"The second announcement is that we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. However, he was unable to make it tonight due to an unexpected happening. Anyway, you will all see him tomorrow at breakfast. This one may just stick around for more than a year too." Everyone laughed at that, and Dumbledore ended, "I would also like to remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest is well.just that. Forbidden. Also, Mr. Filch's list of banned items has been extended. A list will be provided in each common room. Now let us all dig in!" Dumbledore sat down and everyone clapped.  
  
"Ginny! That means that he still could be coming back!" exclaimed Allie.  
  
"I know," sighed Ginny.  
  
All of a sudden someone came up behind her and wrapped their arms around her, kissing her cheek.  
  
"Hi Colin!" Ginny put on a perky face.  
  
"Hi!" Colin was absolutely beaming. He took a seat next to Ginny after Allie had everyone scoot over for him. The food appeared and they all dug in.  
  
"More potatoes, honey?" asked Colin.  
  
"Um, no, I'm fine, thanks," said Ginny.  
  
"So Colin, do you think that Harry is going to teach?" asked Brian in a would-be casual voice.  
  
"The nerve of him," thought Ginny to herself, "asking him that question to Colin."  
  
"Well, I don't know. None of us do, know do we? We'll just have to wait and find out," said Colin. Ginny could tell that the smile on his face was a forced one. Ginny was very well aware that Colin knew of Harry's history with Ginny. He no longer worshipped him the way he used to do.  
  
"Look," said Allie, coming to Ginny's rescue, "can we just forget about this until tomorrow? We can worry about it then, if it even happens." Allie glared at all of them with her piercing green eyes and they took the point.  
  
Ginny had to make sure she thanked Allie afterwards.  
  
"Yeah, if we don't stop talking about it now, the subject will be worn out by tomorrow and then if Harry does come back, none of us will want to talk about it," Kara said, making some sense in an unusual way but agreeing with Ginny and Allie.  
  
Ginny also had to make sure to thank Kara, though she hardly thought that the subject would be worn out by tomorrow.  
  
"Maybe you guys won't want to talk about it, but I will!" exclaimed Aimee.  
  
"Can we just drop this whole, "oh I can't wait to see if Harry is coming to teach at Hogwarts" subject?" Josh sighed, exasperated. "Personally, I couldn't care any less!"  
  
"Maybe you couldn't care, but I bet Ginny will c-"  
  
"Yes, let's just drop the subject," said Ginny, interrupting Aimee. "Please!" she added, noticing Brian's look. "Aimee, you're wrong since I don't care. I think that at least one of us is acting like a child!"  
  
The plates of food cleared themselves, and the students went up to bed. Ginny was walking next to Allie, Kara, and Caitlyn.  
  
"I can't believe that this is our last year here!" Caitlyn all of a sudden said.  
  
"I know! It's flown by so fast!" agreed Allie.  
  
"I'm sure going to miss this place!" Kara screamed this and several people turned and stared at her. She smiled and said, "Yes. I'm fine. Don't mind me!"  
  
"No you're not," joked Ginny.  
  
"Yes. I'm fine," said Kara again.  
  
They reached the portrait hole.  
  
"Password?" asked the Fat Lady.  
  
"Godric," said Allie, who had been made Head Girl. Allie, Kara, Caitlyn, and Aimee all started up to the girls' seventh year dorms.  
  
"Aren't you coming?" asked Aimee.  
  
"No, I'm going to sit by the fire awhile and think," said Ginny.  
  
"Um, okay." Aimee gave Ginny an odd look as if she wanted to say something, but decided against it and went upstairs.  
  
Colin sat down beside her on the couch. He had noticed that Ginny had stayed behind and he wanted to be with her. They were now the only ones left in the common room. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.  
  
"I missed you," he said.  
  
"Me too."  
  
They stared into the fire, just being together. Colin sat up and kissed her full on the mouth. Ginny didn't feel the warmth flood through her like it did when it was Harry kissing her. She didn't seem to fit against him right, either. Harry was wonderful. She could get lost in his eyes, lose herself just by being with him. She flew when he looked at her, and she melted when he kissed her. But Colin was just.Colin. She broke away from him and said,  
  
"I had better go to bed now. It's late and we have classes tomorrow."  
  
She left him. When she got to the top of the staircase, she looked back. What she saw made her wish she hadn't done that. Colin had sunk to the floor with his face in his hands. Ginny wanted to go back and comfort him. She almost did. Almost. Instead, she went into the dorm and plopped down on her bed, not bothering to undress. Ginny fell asleep, her mind on Harry. What if Harry wanted her back? Should she refuse? Ginny was afraid of getting hurt again and she knew that if she stayed with Colin that wouldn't happen. But then again, it would because she wouldn't be with Harry. Either way Harry would hurt her yet again.  
  
Down in the common room, Colin still sat on the floor in the same position Ginny had seen him in. Deep down he knew that he had lost her, the love of his life. But Colin would not give up. As long as Ginny was at Hogwarts, he wouldn't let her go. Not without a fight. 


End file.
